A pair of battered 42-gallon silver metal tanks, parked outside the restrooms and used to store liquid nitrogen, broadcast the kitchen’s intentions loud and clear. What other Twin Cities restaurant commits itself to the tenets of molecular gastronomy with such buy-in-bulk gusto? Unlike its cramped initial iteration, which opened in 2010 a few doors up the street (and now is home to sibling establishment Pig Ate My Pizza), the newer, far roomier Travail allows co-owners Mike Brown, James Winberg and Bob Gerken to push their maverick operation to greater and certainly more entertaining heights. It’s now two restaurants, housed in a single, wide-open space. Travail, which adheres to a tasting-menu-only format, is to the left. On the right is the Rookery, which focuses on a flurry of what “micro-plates” (translation: barely larger than bite-size portions) plus a cocktail program that’s faithful to the kitchen’s forward-thinking practices. Don’t miss your opportunity for a ringside seat.